Grassland degradation in northern China affects soil microbes differently. A study looked at four levels of degradation and found that soil fungi are more impacted than bacteria. Degradation decreases soil moisture and nutrients, but increases sand content. Soil pH and C:N ratio remain unchanged. Soil fungi diversity decreases with degradation, while bacteria diversity stays the same. Soil fungi community is more affected by soil properties, while bacteria community is more influenced by pH. This shows that soil fungi are more sensitive to grassland degradation, suggesting they are crucial for managing and restoring degraded grasslands.